A 75-year-old patient will be discharged home with a prescription for an opioid analgesic. To help the patient minimize adverse effects, what will the nurse recommend for this patient?
a. Sucking on lozenges to moisten oral mucosa
b. Taking an antacid with each dose
c. Taking the medication on an empty stomach
d. Using a stool softener
ANS: D
Opioid analgesics can cause constipation. Stool softeners can help minimize this effect. Opioids do not cause dry mouth. Drug absorption may be decreased with an antacid. Opioid analgesics should be taken with food or milk to decrease gastrointestinal irritation.
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A hospice nurse is caring for a client who has been given 6 months to live. Which nursing intervention would address the anxiety of the client and family associated with receiving a terminal diagnosis?
A) Encourage early pharmaceutical intervention with anti-anxiety and sedative medications to ease the grieving process. B) Teach the family that while talking with the client about death and dying is permissible, they should not allow the client to dwell on death. C) Explore the client and family's history with other stressful life events and how successful coping was at that time. D) Supply information about the client's disease process and the expected trajectory of death only on a need-to-know basis.
Before administering an antihistamine to a client, which of the following would the nurse include in the preadministration assessment? Select all that apply
A) Asking about symptoms B) Checking visual acuity C) Asking about prescription medications D) Auscultating bowel sounds E) Auscultating heart sounds
A client with a diagnosis of long-term paranoid schizophrenia threatened his neighbor with a rake because he believed his neighbor was coming to kill him with his lawnmower. This client was admitted to the hospital
What is an appropriate client outcome for him? The client will: a. initiate friendly conversation with the staff b. verbalize guilt for his threatening behavior c. participate in group therapy daily d. verbalize no intent to harm others
Mission: to maximize the independence, well being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities across the life span, and their families and caregivers.